A former Naperville area coach is now adding “author” to his resume after publishing a new children’s book inspired by his life.
Orville Sweeney, a former track and field coach at Neuqua Valley High School and collegiate track standout, released “The Boy Who Saved Recess” last month. It chronicles his family’s immigration from Jamaica to New York when he was a child and his struggle to fit in.
“It’s about a young child, leaving his home country that he really loved and enjoyed…My parents, they wanted better opportunities for us. And the opportunity came in the US because, you know, most people living in other places, you can only go so far. And they wanted to go as far as possible,” he said.
Relocation brings challenges for a young Sweeney
After relocating to New York at about age 9, Sweeney explained that he struggled to make friends, often getting teased for his accent and heritage.
“I’m probably one of the only people in my family that still has my accent, so back then, I was teased…Young kids, they say things and don’t really think about it when they say it,” he said.
‘The Boy Who Saved Recess’
The book’s title is drawn from one day when things began looking up for young Sweeney. At recess, during his classmates’ game of kickball, their ball gets stuck in a tree, and he becomes the unexpected hero.
An avid climber from days spent playing outside in Jamaica, he swung into action to help them retrieve the ball.
“I’m just sitting there watching as they’re throwing stones, trying to get the ball, and I came over and was like, ‘Hey, I can get that for you.’ So I climbed the tree, and I got the ball, and everything changed after that,” he said.
The incident marked a turning point for him, as it showed other kids they weren’t so different from each other after all.
“The only difference, as you say, is the accent, and you know, coming from a different culture, but we all do the same thing. We all play the same games. We all like to have fun. So, that was a great moment,” said Sweeney.
‘The Boy Who Saved Recess’ is just the beginning for Sweeney, who plans to turn the book into a series following different parts of his life.
He said he’s excited to continue telling his family’s stories through future books.
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